MovieChat Forums > Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 (2012) Discussion > Batman's white eyes

Batman's white eyes

posted 12 years ago by cryofmankind23
11 replies | jump to latest

I know it's animated but in the new "Dark Knight Returns" movie there's a close up shot of Bruce putting on the cowl, and before he slips it on you can see that the eye holes are black and somehow, when he puts it over his eyes they turn white lmao. Something the movie/comics never explain

I even went on it frame-by-frame, and when the eyeholes are on his forehead and eyebrows, you can see his skin and eyebrows, but OH when they touch his eyes they just turn white haha.

[–] evans0305 12 years ago

Well, it's nothing new. For decades, almost every masked hero in both comics and cartoons had that "white eye" look in their masks, even when they're meant to just be holes. May be its because the artists can't draw tiny puples on the eyes in those masks, or its just to look cool. At the most, its just comic book logic. Now if we only need to figure out why they still wear underwear outside the costume.

[–] nobodyspecialishere 12 years ago

actually it's to keep their crotch warm
underwear inside and underwear outside
or
maybe it has to do with the strongman costume from when they were created

[–] peter_strn 12 years ago

The tradition started from the Phantom(as far as I know), also Phantom was the first superhero to bring on the tights...followed closely by Superman & Batman respectively.

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[–] 12 years ago

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[–] taijiquan12 12 years ago

Some comics have actually addressed the "white eyes" thing in the masks of superheroes by making them one-way transparent lenses that protect the eyes and cover identity.

It is true in this version that the mask doesn't have the white eye holes until he puts it on, making this a stylistic choice, which is fine, because it is animation. I actually think the "white eyes" look better than seeing their eyes when something is drawn/animated.

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[–] cryofmankind23 12 years ago

I agree, the white eyes on superheroes is something that only really works stylistically in art; comic book illustrations and animation: drawings. Whereas in real live action films, it's really not odd at all to see, for example, Bruce Wayne's eyes through the cowl's eyeholes. Putting white eyes in a live action film just never has the same effect as it does in comics; it becomes jarring and gives a completely different effect.

I was just commenting on the amusing part of having a closeup shot of Batman slipping on the cowl, and having the eyeholes magically turn white when they come over his eyes.

[–] Batman_of_Casterly_Rock 12 years ago

TDK actually used the white lenses to fit in the story with the use of sonar.

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[–] 12 years ago

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[–] KaiZas 12 years ago

You lost me at lmao and haha.

No really. Didn't care how legitimate your questions were after seeing that.

[–] captainofiron 12 years ago

they have actually touched on this in the comic, he has nightvision lenses inside the cowl, which give him that otherworldly white eye look

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[–] jdsven 12 years ago

The White Eyes, as some one else mentioned iwth the trunks are also due to the Phantom. Phantom creator Lee Falk was inspired by a Roman statue he saw where the figure had blank eyes as he thought it gave the figure a hunating nad other-worldly look.